Fruit-gatherer.



PATENTED MAY 10. 1904.

H.x MAYO.

FRUIT GATHERER.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. as. 1003.

' N0 110mm.

.-:---h t-- --t----:--:%w M x w m w N v 6 M Patented May 10, 1904.

PATENT EEIoE.

IIO'WES lVlAYO, OF BELFAST, MAI NE.

FRUlT-GATHERER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 7593729, dated May 10, 1904.

Application filed August 26,1908. Serial No. 170,861. (No model.)

To (all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Howns MAYO, a citizen of the United States, residing at Belfast, in the county of Waldo and State of Maine, have invented. new and useful Improvements in Fruit-Gatherers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to certain improvements in what are termcc fruit-gatl1erers; and it has for its object to carry out the purpose of said invention in an effective manner, in a way which shall be convenient to the operator, to prevent mutilating or bruising the fruit, to promote simplicity of construction, and to cheapen the cost of manufacture over many other contrivanees of this class of devices.

The nature of said invention consists of the combination and construct-ion of parts, including their arrangement, substantially as hereinafter more fully disclosed and specifically pointed out by the claims concluding the description, which is as follows:

In the accompanyingdrawings, illustrating the preferred embodiment of my invention, Figure 1 is a view in elevation thereof. Fig. 2 is a view at right angles to Fig. 1, with the actuating-rod outlined in hackle lines. Fig. 3 is a cross-section taken through Fig. 1 on the'line a; Figs. 4: and 5 are broken detail views disclosing more especially the actuating rod-retaining device in locked and unlocked position, respectively.

In the carrying out of my invention I provide a suitable staff or pole 1 of any desired length, and to said pole or staff at one end upon opposite sides are secured. spring-bars 2, preferably as shown or in any other desired way, said bars or springs normally standing in an outwardly inclined or diverging position. Said springs or bars 2 are equipped at their outer or upper ends with preferably hemispherically or saucer shaped jaws 3, conjointly constituting the gatherer proper when brought together, as will presently appear. Said jaws are preferably lined or fitted upon their inner surfaces with felt or like yielding material, as indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1, to prevent as the fruit is received therebetween the bruising or mutilating of said fruit.

A rod i, suitably let into and retained in a longitudinal groove or channel 4:, produced in the staff or pole 1 by means of staples or keepers 8, secured to the pole 1, and through said rod passes, is connected to said springbars 2, preferably by a leather strap 5, itself secured at one end to the outer or upper end of said rod, thence passed through an eye or staple at" on one spring-bar, and finally secured at its. opposite end to an eye or staple r on the other spring-bar. Said actuating-rod has suitably secured to it at ahumber of intervals along its length several knobs or linger-holds 6 for greater convenience than would otherwise be the case in actuating said rod- -as, for instance, in effecting this at dilierentdistances from the point of application of the gathcrer to the fruit less than would readily or conveniently be permitted if the rod had to be grasped by the hand at the extreme lower end of the pole or staff. To one of said knobs or fingerholds is secured what may be termed a latch or retaining device 7, adapted as the rod 4: is manually moveiilinward to its maximum limit to have engagement with the opposite staple or keeper 8 on the staff or pole 1, thus serving as the means for the retention of the jaws of the fruit-gatherer in locked closed position by the aid of the recoil action of the spring-bars 2. Said latch or retaining device may consist of an eye-ended and screw ended pin entering the normally lower end of a knob or linger-piece, by the turning or manipulating of which so as to dispose its eye-ended portion or enlargement under a keeper or eye 8 of said staff or pole the aforesaid locking of parts is effected. By slightly acting upon the finger-piece with the linger the latch is freed from its locked position and the jaws permitted to be automatically opened without turning the latch to restore it to its initial position. Of course the latch or retaining device may be or may not be used, and when its useis not desired it simply remains in its normally disengaged position, as will be readily understood. Also it is noted that by the use of my device the fruit can be gathered simply by turning the pole or handle, which permits the twisting thereof off the tree, thus avoiding the usual shaking operation and precipitating the fruit to the ground, which would result in bruising or'mutilating the fruit. Also it is observed that smaller fruit than would fill the jaws of the device can be equally gathered thereby, as said jaws when brought together are adapted to engage or grip the stem hearing the fruit, the effect of which by similarly moving said pole or stafi' would be to twist or detach the fruit from the tree.

I do not wish to be limited as to details of construction, as these may be modified in many particulars without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A fruit-gatherer embracing a staff or pole having secured thereto, at one end,springbars carrying opposed jaws to receive thcrebetween the fruit, a rod guided in said staff or pole, and means connecting said rod to said springbars, adapted to bring together said jaws as said rod is actuated, said rod having a knob or finger-piece equipped with a retaining device, and means applied to said pole or staff adapted to be engaged by said retaining device, whereby the recoil action or pressure of said spring-bars will effect the locking of the parts thus engaged.

2. A fruit-gatherer, embracing a staff or pole having secured thereto, at one end, spring-bars carrying opposed jaws to receive therebetween the fruit, a rod guided in said staff or pole, and means connectingsaid rod to said spring-bars, adapted to bring together said jaws as said rod is actuated, said rod havinga knob or fingerpiece equipped with a retaining device comprisinga screw-ended and eye-ended pin, and means applied to said pole or staff, adapted to be engaged by the eye-ended portion of said pin, and locked in such engagement by the recoil action or pressure ot'said spring bars.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HOVVES MAYO. Witnesses:

FRED XV. BROWN, A. O. STODDARD. 

